Circuit breaker with timing control



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CIRCUITBREAKER WITH TIMING CONTROL Filed Sept. 18, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIII/IIIIIIIIIIII 4 I I 4 7 'I/III/I/lx I'll/1111114\I 42 40 t' 66 0 IVENTOR.

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Arrows) United. States Patent 3,026,384 CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH TIMINGCONTROL William M. Poschman II, North Las Vegas, Nev. Vegas ValleyElect, 1123 Western, Las Vegas, Nev.)

Filed Sept. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 840,914

8 Claims. (Cl. 20038) This invention relates to an electrical circuitbreaker and it particularly relates to a time clock controlled type ofcircuit breaker.

Although timing controls for circuit breakers have been well knownheretofore, all these prior devices have been generally bulky and undulycomplex. They not only required an inordinately large amount of spacebut were difficult to install and expensive to manufacture and maintain.Consequently, they never attained the public appeal and acceptance whichthey would otherwise have deserved. V I

i It is one object of the present invention to overcome the above andother difiiculties of prior devices ofthis type by providing a timedcircuit breaker device'which is install and maintain,

timed circuit breaker device of the aforesaid type which relativelysimple. in construction and relatively easy to 3,826,384 Patented'Mar.20, 1962 "ice tween the forwardly extending end flanges 40 and 42 of alongitudinally movable bar 44 movably mounted on the adjacent wall ofthe compartment 16. This bar is longitudinally movable between limitsfixed by a stop member or collar 46, connected at its upper and lowerends to the compartment wall and positioned to engage with either of theflanges 40 or 42 upon longitudinal movement of bar 44.

Between the flanges 40 and 42 there is provided a cam 48 mounted on theshaft 50 of the time clock motor 30. This cam 48 is retained against theface of a time clock control and time setting wheel 52, mounted looselybut coaxially therewith on the shaft 50, by means of a spring 54 andspring keeper 56. The wheel 52 is operatively connected to a standardfive wheel twenty-four hour single motion time clock movement generallyindicated at 58 by a clutch mechanism hereinafter described.

The main gear 60 of the time clock movement'58 is provided with two pins62 extending forwardly from the face thereof and releasably engaging incorresponding openings in the wheel 52. The spring 54 releasably and isof relatively small bulk and which is accommodated in an ordinarycircuit breaker panel.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved timedcircuit breaker device, of the character described, that is easily andeconomically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which ishighly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists inthe details of construction and combina tion of parts, as will be morefully understood from the following description, when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of a deviceembodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1, showing the leverin the off position.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1, but showing thelever in the on position.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view, similar to FIG. 3, but showing analternative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram showing the electrical power circuit used inthe control mechanism of the embodiment of FIG. 6.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings wherein similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts, there is shown a timed circuitbreaker assembly, generally designated 10, which comprises a housing orcabinet 12 having two compartments 14 and 16. In compartment 14 isprovided a circuit breaker 18, of generally the standard type, while incompartment 16 is provided the timing and control mechanism 20. Each ofthe compartments 14 and 16 has an aperture aligned for use with astandard bus clip, as at 22 and 24 respectively to receive a bus bar 23and 25 from a source of electrical energy. The clip 22 is electricallyconnected by wire 26 to the circuit breaker 18 while the clip 24 isconnected by wire 28 to the time clock motor 30.

Pivotally connected to the control switch of the circuit breaker 18, asat 32, is a control lever 34. This lever 34 isalso pivoted to thehousing, as at 36, and is provided at its lower end with a finger 38.This lever 34 depends down into compartment 16 and finger 38 ispositioned beresiliently holds the pins 62 in engagement withthecorresponding openings in the-wheel 52 so that these pins 62act asclutch means to retain the wheel 52in operative. engagement with theclock movement 58. This type of construction permits simple adjustmentof the wheel 52 bymerely' pullingit back against the spring 54 todisengage the pins 62, then rotating the wheel 52 to the de-i siredposition and then releasing it to permit the pins 62 to reengagetherewith.

The wheel 52 is provided on its periphery with an adjustable finger 64.This finger 64 is adapted to engage against a lever 66 rockably mountedat 68 on a bracket 70 fixed to the wall of the compartment. The lever 66overlies a switch-opening bar 72 underlying the standard overloadcircuit opening bar 74 of the circuit breaker 18. The bar 72 is pivotedat 76 to bracket members 78 (see FIG. 5 and is biased into the positionshown.

The control wheel 52 is calibrated with twenty-four hour markings andwith intermediate fifteen minute marks. It is also preferably coloredwhite on the 6:00 to 6:00 daylight hour side and black on the 6:00 to6:00 night hour side.

In operation, as the control wheel 52 rotates, it rotates the cam 48which, as it moves into the position of FIG. 2, engages flange 42 andpulls back the bar 44. This engages the flange 40 with finger 38 causingthe lever 34 to rock into the on position shown in FIG. 2. In this onposition, the control switch, connected at 32 to the lever 34,interposes the circuit breaker 18, which is otherwise by-passed, intothe circuit leading from bus bar 23. With the flow of electrical energynow passing through the circuit breaker 18, as the wheel 52 continues torotate through its cycle, it causes the finger 64 to engage lever 66which, in turn, depresses the outer end of bar 72. This causes bar 72 torock on its pivot 76 which forces the opposite end of the bar 72 to pushup on the overload circuit at a pre-set time opening bar 74 at a pre-settime, thereby opening the circuit. This is a momentary action, however,since, as the wheel 52 continues to turn, the finger 64 is disengagedfrom the lever 66 which then returns to its normal position wherein thecircuit breaker 18 is retained in the circuit ready to open in thestandard manner under overload. In this manner, the protective action ofthe breaker is maintained.

As the Wheel 52 continues to rotate, the cam 48 is eventually rotatedinto the position wherein it engages flange 40 and moves the lever 34 toopen the switch connected to it at 32 so as to remove the circuitbreaker 18 from the circuit.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 is shown a modified form of the device wherein thelever is similar to lever 34 and 3 is pivotally mounted at 102. Thelower portion of the lever 100, however, consists of an extension 104having an otfset end 106 provided with a slot 108. In this slot 108 isprovided a pivot pin 110 to one end of which is connected a rocker arm112 having a head 114 at its end. This rocker arm 112 is a coreextending through a coil 116 forming a solenoid. The coil 116 isconnected into the electrical circuit inthe manner shown in FIG. 7.

The circuit shown in FIG. 7 comprises the motor 118 connected to thesource of electrical energy through lines 120 and 122, and alsoincircuit with the coil 116 through lines 124 and 126. 'A'momentarycontact normally open line voltage switch 128 is provided in line 12 6.i

In operation, when the coil 11.6 is energized, the thrust of the rockerarm 112 to theright :(as viewed in FIG. 6) pulls the offset and 106 tothe right. the lever 100 around its pivot 102 into the on position. Theslot 108 provides sufiicient play or slippage to maintain the thermal ormagnetic protective features of the circuit breaker. The coil 116 isenergized by a cam similar to cam 48. This cam would engage theenergizing switch 128 during one part of its rotation and would bedisengaged therefrom during the remainder of its rotation.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, suchdescription is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting,since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of theinvention is tobe determined as claimed. Having thus set forth anddisclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. An electrical circuit breaker devicecomprising a This acts to rock.

means comprising a plurality of pins adapted to engage with said Wheel,spring means on said drive shaft normally forcing said wheel intoengagement with said pins,

' a circuit opening means in said other compartment oper housing havingat least two compartments separated by a vertical wall, a circuitbreaker in one compartment and .a control mechanism in the othercompartment, switch 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said timing meansincludes an electric motor having a drive shaft extending therefrom,said cam means being mounted on said drive shaft. 1

atively associated with said circuit breaker, and means on the peripheryof said wheel for' actuating said circuit opening means during rotationof said wheel.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said control means, comprises alongitudinally reciprocable bar having flanges at its opposite ends forengagement by said cam means.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said control means comprises a rockerarm connected to an oifset end of said control lever, said rocker armextending through an electrically energized coil to form the core of asolenoid in conjunction with said coil.

.6, In an electrical circuit breakerdevice, an energizing switchoperatively connected to a control lever which is, in turn, operativelyassociated with a cam, said cam being rotated'by an electrical timingmechanism including a drive motor, and a circuit opening switch leveroperatively connected to said circuit breaker device, said c ircuitopening switch lever being .actuatable by an engagement means positionedat one portion of the periphery of a wheel operatively and selectivelyconnected to said timing mechanism by a releasable clutch mechanism.

7; The device of claim 6 wherein said cam is operaand said motor, saidsolenoid coil encompassing a rocker.

arm operatively connected to said control lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,578,632 Miller Dec. 11, 1951 2,614,182 Wells Oct. 14, 1952 2,674,664Clubb et a1. Apr. 6, 1954 2,825,770 Helsper Mar. 4, 1958

